The VMCC Banbury Run might be 71 years old but it still manages to attract the largest gathering of pre-1931 classic bikes in the world. Around 500 veteran and vintage motorcycles will ride out from the British Motor Museum on various routes as they make their way to Banbury on Sunday 16 June. The routes vary between 30 and 60 miles and many will hope to make them without breaking down! 

Viewing areas in the Museum grounds will give spectators the chance to see the motorcycles start up as they begin their nostalgic Run. Riders will depart at 5 per minute from 10am with the last leaving at 12noon. Riders will begin to return to the Museum from 12:30pm.The event is supported by the Banbury Town Mayor who will be starting all the competitors on their journeys including scaling Sun Rising Hill at Edgehill.

There will also be Club and Trade Stands, over 100 Autojumble pitches and special interest displays. This year the event will take place on one site without the need for shuttle buses. There is now a newly extended car park and new road layout giving easier access to the M40.

Tom Caren, Show Manager at the British Motor Museum stated “The VMCC Banbury Run is aimed at those who enjoy the thrill of riding out with other Vintage, Veteran & Pioneer bikes.  Its amazing that the Run is now 71 years old and still going strong. With many of the vehicles over 100 years old it’s not surprising that some don’t make the journey to Banbury!”

The Museum will be open from 9am – 5pm. Spectator tickets for the Run cost £9 in advance or £11 on the day for adults and concessions, children cost £7 advance or £9 on the day. All tickets include entry to the Museum and Collections Centre. Camping is also available on the Saturday and Sunday night for a discounted advance price of £26 per pitch for 1 night or £34 per pitch for 2 or 3 nights.

To find out more about the Banbury Run visit www.banbury-run.co.uk, for more information on the British Motor Museum please visit www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk  or call 01926 641188.

Metal merchants beware! Research by Auto Express magazine and road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has found that heavy-metal music could cause motorists to lose their cool behind the wheel and become almost as extreme as their guitar god heroes.

And the calming tones of classical music might not be much better, encouraging too much relaxation and slowing drivers’ progress.

But pop music could be just the ticket, creating the perfect atmosphere for smooth and controlled driving.

In a study to discover the effects of different types of music on driving style and safety, Auto Express and IAM RoadSmart used the high-tech racing rig at simulator experts Base Performance Simulators near Banbury, where drivers from the world’s top racing series go to hone their skills. The findings from the research are published in Auto Express today (29 May).

During the test, consumer reporter Tristan Shale-Hester was tasked with undertaking two simulated precision laps of the Grand Prix track Red Bull Ring in Austria while listening to songs at full volume from four different genres of music – thrash metal, hip-pop, classical and pop.

The two-lap test involved fast acceleration, a series of technically challenging corners and a speed-limited zone, completed by a controlled stop on the finish line at the end of the second lap.

After setting a control lap time with no music of four minutes 34 seconds, Tristan tried the same test again while listening to the fast and noisy song ‘(sic)’ by heavy-metal band Slipknot.

Tristan was a staggering 14 seconds slower and his throttle movements were far more jagged while listening to the metal compared to the control lap, and admitted listening to Slipknot made it harder to concentrate on the circuit layout.  

Tristan made his next attempt listening to classical music, with the dulcet tones of Bach’s Goldberg Variations on his headphones. But while Tristan’s driving was better with Bach than with Slipknot, he was 12 seconds slower than his control lap, dropping his speed to just 35mph in a 50mph zone without noticing.

Then came ‘Shake It Off’ by Taylor Swift. Tristan’s time when listening to the bouncy pop classic was only two seconds slower than his control time, and IAM RoadSmart expert Tim Shallcross said that it was on this test that Tristan’s laps were “smoothest in terms of speed consistency.”

Finally came the complex hip-hop song ‘Humble’ by Kendric Lamar; although driving to this helped Tristan to a time just one second slower than the control lap, it caused him to overshoot the finish line by four car lengths – a potentially dangerous 60-70ft.

Steve Fowler, editor-in-chief of Auto Express said: “Much of the focus around distracted driving is on using a handheld mobile behind the wheel, and rightly so. But Auto Express’s joint research with IAM RoadSmart shows that as well as making a conscious decision to put their phone away when driving, motorists should also think carefully about what music they listen to.

“While heavy metal was clearly linked to Tristan’s worst lap, classical music fans may be interested to learn that some pieces appear to promote too deep a state of relaxation to be listened to when behind the wheel.”

Tim, IAM RoadSmart head of technical policy, added: “What is clear is that the ferocious thrash metal really reduced the ability of the driver to get around the track smoothly. That, and high-energy dance music, are designed to be felt as well as heard, and to be listened to at volume. It’s clear neither help when it comes to making exacting driving manoeuvres.

“Volume is the major factor for concentration and has a big effect. I would certainly advise drivers to dial down the noise when making a manoeuvre – and save the thrash metal for later in the day, or night!”

The MICHELIN Tracker takes its inspiration directly from tyres used in topflight motorsport and is engineered to address the needs of the growing number of riders who are looking for a reliable product that allows them to enjoy their off-road forays to the full.

To cover the requirements of amateur competitors, as well as those who use their bike for practice or leisure purposes, it is designed to cover a particularly broad spectrum of terrains.
Thanks to its new tread pattern design, its resilience and the outstanding grip it delivers, the MICHELIN Tracker is perfectly suited to riding on sand, mud and dirt.
It is approved for road use, too, making it the ideal fitment for road legal, enduro and trail bikes like the Yamaha WR-F 450 and the Suzuki DR-Z 400.
The MICHELIN Tracker’s strength, performance, versatility and affordable price tag are sure to appeal to a high number of off-road enthusiasts, and the technologies it packs stand to win over the most exacting bikers.
Careful attention has notably been paid to its tread pattern and crown which has been reinforced to shrug off the knocks associated with off-road riding.

The design of the MICHELIN Tracker’s innovative tread pattern ensures outstanding traction and braking performance in even the toughest conditions. The tie bars that connect the blocks provide added protection and upgraded resistance to impact, while the new tyre’s two-ply construction combines reduced weight with superior ride comfort and directional precision.
Last but not least, for extra peace of mind for riders who like to stray off the beaten track, MICHELIN Bib Mousse inserts are available in a choice of four sizes (M15, M18, M22 and M199) for the new MICHELIN Tracker.

Though bikers make up one percent of road traffic, they comprise 19 percent of all fatal traffic accidents according to the Department of Transport. There were 36.7 vehicles licensed for use in Great Britain and 83 percent, or 30.5 million, were cars. It goes without saying that motorbike riders need to take precautions to avoid accidents, but they should pay extra attention on specific roads.  

In addition the Road Crash Index, which has been created by the Road Safety Foundation in collaboration with the insurer Ageas to map out the risk of serious injury and death on Britain’s roads, there are new studies coming out about the safety of roads.

The Road Crash Index reported that half of all of the United Kingdom’s road death concentrated on ten percent of roads—specially A roads outside of city limits and motorways. Since road death deaths increased in 2016, private entities are using the government figures to find out which roads are the most dangerous.

Accident Studies A new study from the insurance company Swinton has analysed accident data provided by the government to reveal which roads are the most dangerous for bikers. The data from 2017 revealed that nine out of the most dangerous roads are in London. The other is in Wales. Though they aren’t the most dangerous roads in the country, the study put together a list of the most hazardous roads in the East Midlands.

Dangerous Roads in the East Midlands

Of the top ten most dangerous road in the East Midlands, five are in Nottinghamshire. These include Nottingham A6002, A6130, and A611, all of which are in the top five most dangerous roads in the region. Other roads on this top ten include Leicester A563 and A594, High Peak A57, Mansfield A60, East Northamptonshire A6, and Mansfield A6009. Number one most risky road the list for the region is Worcester A38.

The Details

The figures from the study show that 584 accidents occurred in the East Midlands during the year 2017. This was 400 more than in the North East, which has the title of least dangerous region for motor bikers. It has a stunning 3,000 less than London. According to MoneyPug, the site used to compare the best bike insurance, the accident rate also declined by six percent. Still the study showed that a staggering one in three motorbike accidents are serious or even fatal. It also showed that Friday is the most dangerous day of the week for motorcyclists and midday Sunday was the most common time for fatal accidents. 

The Safest Roads

While the North East is much less dangerous than London and East Midlands, it is not the safest place for motorbike riders in the country. The Road Crash Index has determined that Dunbartonshire has the country’s safest roads. It ranked the highest, with a 32 percent reduction in serious crashes between the years 2010 and 2012 as well 2013 and 2015.

Not the Most Dangerous, but Not the Safest

The roads in the East Midlands are not as dangerous as the roads in South Glamorgan, which ranked last of 78 counties. Serious incidents and fatal accidents have increased 27 percent. Still, they are far from the safest. It is the hope of insurance companies like Swinton that if we can raise awareness about the country’s most dangerous roads for cars and bikers alike, we can avoid tragedies and insurance claims. Local politicians have also began pushing for improvements on some of the more dangerous roads.

Road Safety for Bikers

It is important for bikers anywhere to be prudent about road safety since they are inherently more dangerous than cars. If you are properly trained, you are also a lot less likely to get into an accident. It is best to have the necessary experience before tackling the most infamous roads in the East Midlands, or anywhere else for that matter. For bikers, it is crucial to be on the defensive. Cars can hurt bikers a lot more than bikers can harm people in cars. With the proper experience and adhering to traffic laws, bikers can avoid accidents on the region’s most dangerous roads and keep themselves safe.

Tenere, Tracer 900 GT and Bolt motorcycles now available for our September 2019 Wild Wild West guided tours. They offer great value for money with savings of £600 per bike on our 2 week tour and £450 on the one week tours.

For those of you who've ever asked about lighter bikes then these Yamahas make an ideal alternative to our fleet of Harleys.  And, combined with the opportunity to ride all the best bits of the American West and the golden state of California, what's not to like!